Specialty Nursing

Overview

The BCIT pediatric nursing specialty is the only one of its kind in Canada. We educate students from around the world, and our program is recognized at every Canadian hospital and university. Our program gives you the skills employers seek.

Pediatric nursing is dedicated to the health and care of young people, ranging from babies to teenagers. Children, as patients, have unique health care needs that require specialized knowledge and expertise in their growth, illness, and injury. Pediatric nurses also require excellent communication skills to provide a safe and supportive environment for young patients and their families.

About the program

The BCIT Nursing Specialty Bachelor of Science (BSN) is a combination of our advanced certificate program and our specific academic BSN courses. Choose to complete both concurrently or study in the order that works best for you.

Program Entry

Application processing

Ongoing throughout the year.

Entrance requirements

Note: Effective immediately, all health care workers who come into contact with patients at publicly-funded health care facilities or in the community, including at long-term-care facilities, will have to get the influenza vaccine or wear a mask during flu season. This policy affects all students who will be entering a clinical setting.

As such, you will be required to provide proof of your immunization or agree to wear a mask at all times prior to being placed in your clinical studies.

The following are requirements for program entry into Specialty nursing certificate and degree courses. Enforcement or waiving of any or all entry requirements is at the discretion of the Program Head.

If you have any questions about your experience or qualifications, please contact the Program Head to arrange program advising.

English Language Proficiency

English 12 (B) and English language proficiency

Specialty Nursing courses are taught in the English language and require adequate English skills. To review BCIT’s requirements on English Language proficiency, please visit
BCIT’s Admission and Registration page on English Requirements.

Adequate Work Experience

Applicants to Specialty Nursing Certificate courses should have a minimum of 6 months to 1 year of relevant work experience in an acute care setting. Exceptions may be
granted for undergraduate students taking entry level theory courses. However, a resume of work experience may be required to progress in the program. If you have questions
about whether your work experience qualifies, please contact the Program Head.

If you are a long term or residential care nurse or an RN lacking current (within the last 2 years) acute care experience, Kwantlen College offers a Competency Assessment and Enhancement for Nurses course that provides a refresher in acute care principles.

This assessment involves an individual self assessment, multiple choice exam and practice simulation. This course may be required for admission in the Specialty Nursing programs. For more information on Kwantlen's offering please visit:

Once you have been assessed, you may be required to complete a tailored curriculum designed to meet BCIT's need for familiarity with acute care principles. This curriculum may include some of the following courses:

Requirements for clinical courses in Specialty Nursing:

Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification

All students participating in clinical courses must have current Current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Level C or Level Health Care Provider (HCP). The original
certificate must be presented upon application to the clinical courses.

CRNBC Registration

As well as providing this information at the time of admission, BCIT requires students to provide proof of CRNBC membership (or Canadian provinvial equivalent) for each
clinical course they enroll in. Without proper provincial registration, you will not be permitted to continue in the course.

Face Respirator Fit Testing

A face piece respiratory fit test is required before students are permitted to enter the clinical practicum. Upon successful completion of the fit test, the original certificate must be presented to the program and annual re-fitting is required. Students are expected to carry their certificate with them at all times during their practicum.

For the Respirator Fit Testing, fit testing with a N95 respirator (1860, 1860s or 1870) is required and must be performed, in accordance with CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.4-02. Fit Testing must also include, inspection, cleaning, maintenance and storage of protective equipment. Students will be given specific instructions in preparation for their fit testing by the provider they choose.

myCommunication

Within 2 business days of submitting your completed application, BCIT will send a message to your personal e-mail and your myBCIT e-mail address. All correspondence about your application will be posted to your online myCommunication account at my.bcit.ca. We'll send you an email when a new message is posted. It's important to watch for these emails, or regularly check your account online.

You can expect to receive communication concerning the status of your application within 4 weeks.

Courses

Program matrix

An introduction to the nursing specialty of pediatric nursing, this course focuses on characteristics of children and families which influence how they interpret and respond to life events and to their environments, and shapes how nurses respond to and interact with them. The course examines dimensions of nursing practice that may create, sustain, or undermine partnership relationships with children and their families.

A three-week clinical course focusing on the care of children with health challenges; this course is an introduction to clinical nursing care of infants and children. The setting in which this course occurs will vary depending on students’ learning needs. The course is centered around learning activities which are flexible and enable students to obtain a tailored clinical experience. Through these learning activities, students are provided with opportunities to develop the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and systematic inquiry skills necessary to provide child and family-centered care. In particular, students will focus on assessment and care planning, developing partnerships with children, medication administration, fluid balance/nutrition, respiratory support, and the environment in pediatric nursing. Prerequisites: NSPE 7100 and (NSPE 7200 or NSPE 7210)

A three-week clinical course focusing on the care of infants and children with health challenges and their families. The setting in which this clinical course occurs will vary depending on students’ learning needs. The course is centered around learning activities which are flexible and enable students to obtain a tailored clinical experience. Through these learning activities, students are provided with opportunities to build on the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and systematic inquiry skills necessary to provide child and family-centered care. In particular, clinical decision making and articulation of a personal practice framework for pediatric nursing will be emphasized. Prerequisites: NSPE 7300

Focusing on the partnership relationship between the nurse, the child, the family, and the multidisciplinary team, children with a variety of health challenges arising from serious illness are presented in a case study format in order to examine the principles guiding the management of the child’s care. This course builds on the understanding of nursing practice acquired in NSPE 7100, 7200 & 7300, by examining the pediatric nurse's role in the context of the patient's experience of selected serious illnesses. Specifically, learners will explore additional comprehensive assessment strategies, strategies to optimize oxygen supply and demand balance in seriously ill patients. Learners will be challenged to make clinical decisions and plan care for selected seriously ill children including those experiencing respiratory insufficiency, interracial pressure, postoperative cardiac management, cardiac failure, and hemodynamic instability. The child's and family's experience of serious illness and hospitalisation will be explored in some detail. Prerequisites: NSPE 7100 and NSPE 7200 and NSPE 7300

This course builds on the concepts presented in NSPE 7100. Focusing on the partnership relationship between the nurse and the child and family, children with a variety of neurological health challenges and those requiring surgical intervention are presented in a case study format in order to examine the principles guiding the management of these children's care. Children’s experiences of illness, surgery, and hospitalization will be explored in some detail. Prerequisites: NSPE 7100

A phenomenologic approach to family-centered care will be used to build on student’s communication, collaboration, systematic inquiry, critical thinking and professional caring abilities. This course builds on student’s philosophical and theoretical foundation when partnering with childbearing families. This online course focuses on nurse-family partnerships, and is shared among the Neonatal, Pediatric and Perinatal Nursing Specialties. Using a post-modern family framework, this course provides the opportunity to engage with a selected family in order to establish a relationship characterized by creative listening, respect for diversity, power sharing, and appreciation of own family values. Explores concepts such as family, family health, family health partnership, narrative, lived experience, meaning, context, and imagination. Prerequisites: NSPE 7100 and NSPE 7200

An elective course in the Pediatric Nursing Specialty Program, this course is intended to provide students with additional clinical practice. The course learning intentions, learning activities, and evaluation strategies are established once the student and the course tutor have determined what a student’s learning needs are. The course may be used to provide novice pediatric nurses with additional time to focus on the basics, or it may be used to provide clinical practice in an area not addressed in the required clinical courses. Prerequisites: NSPE 7100 and (NSPE 7200 or NSPE 7210)

A guided learning course addressing the nursing care of children with complex health problems who are living at home with their families. Using a case-study format, students will have the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills in order to promote the health of these children and their families. Students will explore nursing practice issues particularly relevant to nursing practice in the home and community settings. Prerequisites: NSPE 7100

A guided learning course addressing nursing care when an infant or child faces respiratory and/or cardiac arrest. Using a case study format, students have the opportunity to develop skills in critical thinking, systematic inquiry and collaboration as they focus on anticipation and prevention in potential and actual arrest situations. Prerequisites: NSPE 7100

Provides the opportunity to pursue a particular area of interest in specialty nursing. You and course tutor determine the learning intentions, activities and evaluation strategies for the course. For further details, contact the program head in your chosen specialty. Requires program head approval to register.

Provides the opportunity to pursue a particular area of interest in specialty nursing. You and course tutor determine the learning intentions, activities and evaluation strategies for the course. For further details, contact the program head in your chosen specialty. Requires program head approval to register.

Provides the opportunity to pursue a particular area of interest in specialty nursing. You and course tutor determine the learning intentions, activities and evaluation strategies for the course. For further details, contact the program head in your chosen specialty. Requires program head approval to register.

Provides the opportunity to pursue a particular area of interest in specialty nursing. You and course tutor determine the learning intentions, activities and evaluation strategies for the course. For further details, contact the program head in your chosen specialty. Requires program head approval to register.

The course provides an overview of the basic skills of a manager and applies these skills through a series of projects and case studies. It examines the evolution of management and the organizational culture and environment. It also teaches the decision-making skills and the skills involved in planning, organizing, leading and controlling, including planning and facilitating change, teamwork, applying motivational techniques and effective communication.

Introduces diverse perspectives on teaching and learning related to specialty nursing and explores the impact that connected teacher-learner relationships have on effective learning. Teaching and learning are viewed as mutual and parallel processes, being influenced by beliefs, intentions, and capacities of both teachers and learners. Teaching and learning abilities are further developed according to mutually agreed upon learning outcomes and intentions.

In this online course, learners explore how research informs evidence-based nursing practice. Foundational research concepts and processes in quantitative and qualitative paradigms are examined. Learners critique primary research reports of interest, both individually and in groups, and address research utilization in practice.

Provides the opportunity to pursue a particular area of interest in specialty nursing. You and course tutor determine the learning intentions, activities and evaluation strategies for the course. For further details, contact the program head in your chosen specialty. Requires program head approval to register.

This on-line course offers students the opportunity to develop their leadership knowledge and skills within the context of specialty nursing. Leadership is explored from multiple perspectives with an emphasis on contemporary theories and frameworks. Topics that are examined include followership, contextual influences, power, navigating change and transitions, and teambuilding. Students engage in a work related leadership project to apply leadership knowledge and skills to their practice.

Professional growth is explored from personal, professional, and historical perspectives. Students choose a focus for growth which is fostered by ongoing critical reflection and journaling. Relational practice is explored through the lenses of mentoring and harmful workplace relationships. Contemporary trends in ethical practice are examined, including the contextual influences on practice; the development of moral identity; and the enhancement of moral integrity. An anticipated trajectory for professional development is envisioned and described.

This course explores contemporary community health nursing, examining multiple perspectives on community, health, and relational practice. Community health nursing is examined through the lenses of primary health care, health promotion, and ethics. Clinical practice is focused on facilitating participatory dialogue with a selected group to explore perspectives on relational practice in health care.

Develops advanced skills in critical analysis, close reading and composition through lectures, discussion and group activities in which students analyze and evaluate materials from various disciplines. Readings might come from professional journals, reports, newspapers, magazines and literature. Multimedia such as video, music and the Internet may also be included. Prerequisite: BCIT ENGL 1177, or 6 credits BCIT Communication at 1100-level or above, or 3 credits of a university/college first-year social science or humanities course.

This course introduces students to contemporary issues in health ethics by examining and applying ethical theories to moral dilemmas at the clinical, professional, and organizational levels. To this end, developing competence in moral reasoning is an important goal, one that will be emphasized through the analysis of case studies that test personal, professional, and societal values. Prerequisite: BCIT ENGL 1177, or 6 credits BCIT Communication at 1100-level or above, or 3 credits of a university/college first-year social science or humanities course.

Program structure

Credits

Nursing Component

48.0

A. Advanced Certificate

27.0

B. Core Courses

21.0

Liberal Studies Component

12.0

Total

60.0

Graduating & Jobs

Health Match BC

Health Match BC is a new service that helps recent specialty nursing graduates find work within BC. Funded by the provincial government, Health Match BC prioritizes the hiring of BC nursing graduates. For more information, download the Health Match BC PDF.

Graduate employment outcomes

The BCIT student outcomes reports present summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by
BC Stats one to two years after graduation. These reports combine the last three years of available results for the
2011-2013 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2010-2012 Graduates and for Degree 2009-2011 Graduates. The reports are organized
into two-page summaries containing information on graduates' labour market experiences and opinions regarding their
education. More detailed information can be accessed at the
BC Student Outcomes website.

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The personal information on this form is collected under the authority of the College
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with you regarding relevant BCIT programs, courses and services. This information is only
used by authorized BCIT staff. Email communication sent to and from BCIT is routed
through the United States of America. If you have any questions about BCIT's collection
and use of this information, please contact BCIT’s manager of Freedom
of Information and Protection of Privacy.